Inside a Game-changing Year for Our Three Chef Apprentices

We’re big on apprenticeships, and this National Apprenticeship Week, we celebrate our next generation of talent.

A year ago, our first-ever cohort of Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) specialist chef apprentices walked into their kitchens, ready to shake things up. Fast forward 12 busy months – they’ve worked in some of the country’s best kitchens – cooking for high-profile events, creating signature dishes, competing in national competitions and even helping us win a major client.

For Megan, food has always been personal. Her love for cooking started with her stepmum’s Filipino dishes and now she’s using that passion to fuel her future. She’s spent the year not only learning her craft, but she’s also cooking sold-out live pop-ups, sitting on chef panels, hosting chef table dinners and helping shape the future for chef apprentices to come by creating a go-to guide on what to expect.

“I knew this apprenticeship was for me the moment I found it. I packed up, moved to London and stayed with host families. It’s the best thing decision I’ve made. You’re thrown into real kitchens, real experiences and you grow so fast.” she says. Her mentor, Chris Jarman, Executive Chef adds, “Give her anything with Asian dough – wontons, noodles – you name it, she’s in her element. She’s got this quiet confidence that makes her unstoppable.”

Louie’s obsession with food started early – taking on cooking lessons at 14, getting a weekend job in a local kitchen and a having stint at The Ritz before even finishing school. He joined BaxterStorey hungry to learn and learn he has. In these months, he’s placed as a finalist in his first-ever competition, appeared on our FYI the BaxterStorey podcast and played a key part in the ribbon-cutting event of Deutsche Bank’s brand-new HQ launch.

His mentor, Executive Head Chef Christopher Terry, is chuffed with Louie’s can-do attitude, “Throw him into any challenge and he thrives. He makes it his own, whether it’s a high-pressure event or the omelette bar.” Louie adds, “Every day is different. One minute, I’m plating desserts; the next, I’m prepping for a Pan-Asian event. I’m loving it.”

Jude started his epic food journey at 16 in restaurants and pubs, working in front of house to the back of kitchens. Now, he’s delighting customers by delivering fine dining experiences, running canapé functions solo and clinching first place at the Craft Guild of Chefs Eat Wild competition.

“I just did what I do every day at work – cook clean and tidy, stay focused and put everything into it. Turns out that’s what they were looking for!” His mentor, Head Chef Sagar Desai, adds, “Jude is a rockstar. He can handle pressure, run a function on his own, and still crack a joke at the end of the night. He’s changed how I see apprenticeships and how great they can be not just for them but for us as mentors, our teams and business too.”

Speaking about the programme’s impact, Chris Jarman shares, “When we first brought in our chef apprentices, we didn’t know what to expect. Now, we can’t imagine the business without them.”

Andy Aston, Head of Chef Partnerships and Community, who introduced the programme to BaxterStorey, has seen the ripple effect first-hand, “More of our clients are open to apprenticeships now because of what they’ve seen with our three trailblazers and the fantastic work that our mentors have invested, into crafting these fantastic young chefs into future leaders.”

We’re only just getting started. We’ve now welcomed our fourth RACA chef apprentice, Joanne Baggaley, who’s bringing the heat at ASOS with her mentors, Executive Chef Tom Stoakes and Account Manager Maxine Long. We’re also delighted to welcome Noemi Gondor at UBS as a pastry chef apprentice mentored by Chris Jarman.

Megan, Louie and Jude are heading back to college for three months before returning to their kitchens in April, ready for round two.

If you ask them what they’d say to anyone considering an apprenticeship, the answer is, “Just go for it! You learn, work with incredible chefs, get one-to-one mentorship and get paid. You won’t find this in a classroom.”

Our culinary superstars are flourishing, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Power your apprenticeship career with us today and get in touch with Andy at aaston@baxterstorey.com